Method of and means for testing the quality and condition of solid substances



J an. 9, 1923.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TESTING THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OFSOLID SUBSTANCES.

FILED FEB. 8, I918.

.I Inn-III I I l 9, l fld,

RALPH M. GASTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TESTING THE QUALITY' AND CONDITION OF SOLID SUBSTANCES.

Application filed February 8,1918. Serial No. 215,949.

fl '0 all 20 710m it may concern:

Be it known that T, RALPH M. GASTON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Means for Testing the Quality and Condition oi Solid Substances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new method of i and means for, testing the quality and condition of solid substances, such as metals,

of materials which will predeterminewtheir ability to meet service conditions.

To these and other ends, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingv description, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended. Generally stated, the invention in its broadest physical embodiment consists of an instrument wherein the quality and condition or solid substances are tested by a comparison of the heights of rebound of a roundball or sphere dropped a uniform distance onto the test specimens. Tn order that the invention may be fully and clearly understood bot-h as to its method. or principle of operation and as to the essential. featintes of its physical structure, T have illustrated. in the accompanying drawing one simple and practical. form of instrument in which the invention may be.

expressed, and which I have found by re peated tests to afford accurate and reliable results. i

Referring to the drawing i Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete instrument.

Fig. 2 is an axial vertical section substantially on the line 2-2 ofFig. l. i p f Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the lower portion of the scale tube and its support. F ig. r is a view similar to Fig. 3 through the upper portion of the scaletube and its support, clearly illustrating the means for disengaging the striker from the magnetized rod at, a fixed and uniform height of the tube. g I

Fig. 5 isa sectional top plan view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 of the supporting base and anvil.

Referring to the drawing, a designates a base integral with which is an anvil a designedin some instances to support a specimen to be tested. The supportlng feet of this base comprise a small lug 7; on the lower side of the anvil a and a pair of adjusting screws Z passing through the rear portion of the base.

Rigidly mounted in the base a is a post 7) on which in turn is mounted and adjustably supported byla collar m a swinging and hinged bracket comprising. the link 0 slidably hinged on thepost b, and the link d 1n turn articulated by a pivotal hinge rod n to the link 0. In the forward edge of the bracket link (Z is slidably mounted a rod 0 that forms part of a metal frame p, which latter serves as a holder for a glass tube 0, this latter being secured to the :trame p by upper. and lower clamp collars g and 7", respectively. To the, lower end of the frame p is attached a stop blocki formed with an opening 8 that is coaxial with the tube 0. On the upper end of the frame p is mounted an internally threaded collar 2? which serves as a holder for a scraper 7t, this latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:, preferably having a taperedlower end projecting into the upper end of the tube 0, andv formed with an axial bore a that is axially coincident with the tube (1. Slidably mounted in the bore a oi the scraper 7a is a magnetized rod 9 preterably equipped at its upper end with a knob orhandle '21. Within the tube e is housed. a steel ball 7" of accurate spherical shape, and. marked on or attached to the tube 6 is a graduated scale, 10. i

. The tube "frame 39 also supports a vertical rod k which swings freely from a universal joint m at its upper end, and thereby indicates when the tube frame and parts carried thereby are adjusted to vertical position, which is readily effected by manipulation of the adjusting screws Z of the base.

In operating the instrument,the material to be tested, it not too large, may be placed on theanvil a, and the .tube frame is then lowered directly onto the test specimen, the stop block a coming into contact with the latter. The tube frame having then been accurately adjusted, if necessary, to vertical position, the rod 9 is lowered onto the ball 7" whichlies in'the opening act the stop block 2'; it being noted that the diameters of the openings .9 and h are'slightly less than the diameter of the ball so that thelatter cannot escape. Theball f" adheres to the lower end of the magnetized rod, g, and the latter is raised until the ball is detached from the rod .by the lower end ot the scraper 7b. The ball instantly drops in a vertical line the full length of the tube and impinges on the surface of the test materiahiand the extentof its rebound is observed and. visually measured by the operator on the scale w. The ball drops on'a smooth, level surface ot the test specimen, and some deformation takes place in both ball and specimen, and assoon as the shock of the impact has been spent each starts to correct the deforrnation, thereby causing the ball to rebound to a'height depending on" the character, and particularly the quality, of resilience of the materials used forthe ball and the test specimen. By the use of a common steel test ball comparisons can be accurately made of the quality and conditions of temper of practically any and 'all'solid substances.

The "friction of the moving ball in the air and a certain loss within the steel ball are constant factors, so that comparative indications are entirely dependent on the materials being tested. The tubesurrounding the ball is large enough to prevent any piston action from interfering with the free movement of the ball, and care is used by accurate vertical adjustment to prevent actual contact and friction loss between the ball and the tube while thetest is being made. The delicacy and high efficiency of the instrument and of the method of testing which it embodies are shown by the fact that the ball willeasily rebound over 90 per cent. of the height of fall on quenched high-carbon steel, while on other materials which do not have the capacity to correct deformation, or at least the capacity to make such correction promptly, the rebound is much less, as, for

instance, lead will produce a rebound of only about 4 per cent.

The round shape of the test ball causes the area or contact between it and the specimen to increase rapidly as deformation increases,

'andftherebyprevents any great. penetration 'ot'the'test piece with consequent reduction of the rebound. In other words, this device is designed and adapted to secure as large indications as possible for the height of drop, which assures accurate readings. In this respect my. invention is sharply distinguished from. many devices of this general character wherein the striker, instead of being spherical, has a more or less pointed or sharp lower end which effects a much greater penetration of the test materials, and thereby reduces (and in the case of soft ma terials sometimes entirely prevents) the rebgupd oi the striker. g

The spherical shape of the test ball also presents a. large wearing surface, since it may strike on any side, and thus secures longevity and durability even when working on tempered steel. v

The test specimen, i'l small, can be placed on theanvil ca, or, if large, it can be testedag5 without the use of the anvil in 'an obvious manner. If the shape of the specimen is irregular, it may be supported in a vise.

It is believed that the principle, structural features, manner'of use and advantages of the present invention will be manifest to those skilled in the art without further description or elaboration. Obviously, so far as the instrument itself is concerned, the details of structure may be conside'rabl varied from those shown while the method of testing by observing the height of rebound of a steel ball dropped vertically at uniform distances on test materials can be carried out by a wide variety of means. Hence, I do not limit the invention to the particular embodiment herein seleoted for purposes of illustration, but renetized rod, aguide in which said rod is slidabl mounted said guide also servin .V n

a. scraper to detach said ball from said rod, and means for measuring the'he-ight of rebound of said ball.

3. In a testing device, the combination ol :1 tube having an open lower end. adapted to overlie a test sample, a steel ball in said tube of less: diameter than the latter, a magnetized rod, a guide at the upper end of said tube in which said rod is slidably mounted.

said guide'also serving as a scraper to detach sa d ball firom said rod, a scale for measurmamas ing the height of rebound of said ball, and

means for supporting said tube with capacity for vertical adjustment.

4. In a testing device, the combination of a tube having an open lower end adapted to overlie a test sample, a steel ball in said tube of less diameter than the latter, a magne tized rod, a guide at the upper end of said tube in which said rod is slidably mounted said guide also serving as a scraper to" detach said ball from said rod, a scale for measuring the height of rebound of said ball, and means for supporting said tube with capacity for both vertical and lateral adjustment.

5. In a testing device, the combination of a tube having an open lower end adapted to overlie a test sample, a steel ball in said tube of less diameter than the latter, a magnetized rod, a guide at the upper end of said tube in which said rod is slidably mounted, said guide also serving as a scraper to detach said ball from said rod, a scale for measuring the height of rebound of said ball a carrier for said tube, means for adjusting said carrier to secure a vertical position of said tube, and means on said carrier for indicating vertical position of said tube.

RALPH M. GASTON. 

